This invention relates to the electrolytic generation of oxygen, and more particularly, to an improved method and apparatus for increasing the dissolved oxygen content of water.
Many benefits may be obtained through the use of water containing an elevated quantity of dissolved oxygen. For example, certain studies have shown that animals such as chickens and turkeys grow heavier for a given grain consumption if their drinking water has elevated oxygen levels. Increased levels of oxygen in water also act to purify the water, killing a variety of biological and chemical contaminants, as is known in the art. Further, it is believed that humans may obtain certain health benefits by consuming oxygenated water.
The oxygen content of water may be increased via electrolysis, a process that is well known in the art. Typically, current is supplied to a cathode and an anode positioned in a water solution. The passage of electricity through the solution splits the water molecule causing the formation of hydrogen and oxygen gas. The hydrogen tends to bubble out of solution, whereas a certain quantity of the oxygen molecules are trapped by the water molecules and remain in solution, thereby increasing the dissolved oxygen content of the water.
Currently available systems for oxygenating water with electrolytic cells may not reach desired levels of dissolved oxygen, nor do they function as efficiently as desired. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved system for increasing the dissolved oxygen content of water to desired levels at an improved efficiency and speed.
Briefly, the present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for increasing the oxygen content of water. The oxygenated water may then be used for a variety of purposes.
In a preferred embodiment, a volume of water is passed between the electrodes of an electrolytic cell to which a current is applied. The water is recirculated, such that a given volume of water is ensured of passing between the electrodes a selected number of times. During each pass through the cell, some percentage of the volume of water turns into dissolved oxygen. In a preferred embodiment, the volume of water is passed between the electrodes a selected number of times such that the volume of water contains a desired amount of dissolved oxygen.
The number of passes is selected to reach the desired oxygen level as efficiently as possible. According to principles of the present invention, after a selected number of passes, additional passes only increase the oxygen level slightly. For example, after the same volume of a selected water sample has circulated 14-16 times through the cell, it reaches a desired oxygen level. While additional circulation of the same volume of water does increase the oxygen level, it is only a modest increase. According to one alternative embodiment, the preferred number of passes for a particular volume of water varies with the particular properties of the water. As will be appreciated, water with a high iron content may require a different number of passes to reach the preferred dissolved oxygen level than soft water, hard water, slightly salty water, or the like. The differences of mineral and salt content of water from various sources is so great with even slight variations affecting the results, that a test is preferably conducted to determine the preferred number of passes for each particular water source. After the water source has been tested and the correct number of passes selected, then the system can be set to ensure that the desired number of passes occur before water is discharged by the system.
For example, in one embodiment, the electrolytic cell has eight electrodes, each electrode having a length of 6 inches and a width of 1.5 inches. A current of 1.5 amperes is applied to the electrodes, and a volume of water flows past the electrodes at a rate of 3.8 gallons per minute. For the volume of water to reach a desired dissolved oxygen content of 13-17 parts per million (ppm), the volume of water is passed between the electrodes 15-55 times. The water is recirculated in this manner until the volume of water has completed the specified number of passes through the cell.